Under the Scorched Tree
by the-science-of-corruption
Summary: Edward goes to the cemetery, for what he THINKS will be a quiet visit to his mother's grave. But he meets a very sad and sobbing Winry, and things take a turn from his potentially quiet afternoon. It's a lame summary, but a good story. Please R&R!


**Hey, y'all. This one I also found in my journal. I still think it's bad, but you can form your own opinion. I hope you enjoy!**

**This story takes place in vol. 21 of the manga, after Ed and Winry are yelling at each other and before Ed leaves. So if you haven't gotten that far, don't read this, please. I added in an extra day somewhere in between there because of time restrictions. I am going to refrain from using language cuz I'm just cool like that, and for me profanity gives a story –points, as opposed to +points**

**Disclaimer: Still not drawing Ed as well as Arakawa-sensei. Let you know if it happens.**

The gray sky formed an ominous backdrop for a visit to his mother's grave. It would definitely rain soon, Edward told himself. He would have to make this a quick stop.

But it never was. Whenever Edward went to be with his deceased mother, he always wound up sitting next to it, just staring at the sky, for hours upon hours. He found a kind of tranquility there, just as he always felt by his mother when she was alive. He supposed that it was all he really had left of her, save the remains of a burnt-down house, a scorched tree, and well worn memories.

And a grave. Always the grave.

Ed finally reached the cemetery. There was no gate, only an archway, which he stepped through. He glanced at the flowers in his hand. Wildflowers. Trisha had always loved wildflowers.

Suddenly Edward heard a strange sound. It sounded like… someone was crying.

Ordinarily not too unusual for a graveyard…

But this was different.

Someone was sobbing as though they have not cried in years, years full of pain and sadness. Sobbing as though the world is coming to an end, and only they can see it. Someone dreadfully alone was sobbing as though their heart is shattering.

Edward followed the sound tentatively, not wanting to intrude upon their privacy but he couldn't control his curiosity.

His feet lead him on top of a hill, overlooking the whole graveyard. His golden eyes scanned the yard for the mourner, and they widened as they saw her, kneeling in front of twin graves, her hands over her face.

_Winry._

Edward started toward her at a brisk walk, then a jog. _Why was she crying so hard?_ Her weeping grew louder and louder, making his legs pick up speed. He had to get to her. He couldn't stand to hear her crying so much. He was running, the wind whipping through his messy blond hair and sending his coat flying out behind him.

Then he was at her side, and before he knew what he was doing, he had her in a warm embrace, the flowers forgotten on the ground, her tears falling onto his shoulder. Winry did not seem surprised to see him, nor that he was hugging her, but merely cried into his arms, wrapping her own around him. She held onto him as though her life depended on it. Edward half thought it does, the way she was crying. _Why won't she stop?_ It was something that almost… scared him.

Slowly, slowly, Winry calmed down. Her tears slowly subsided and she leaned back on her heels, staring at the ground. Edward looked at the tear streaks on her face. She looked so miserable it tore at Edward's heart, a sensation he rarely experiences.

"E-Edward…" Winry's eyes started to tear up again, but they didn't spill. She tried to wipe away her tears, but Edward had better luck with his gloved hands. Winry had never known Ed to be so gentle.

"Winry, I…" Edward tried to say something, but he couldn't find the words. Blast his normally insensitive mind.

"I-I'm sorry… I couldn't control myself. I was just here visiting my parents, and suddenly this overwhelming sadness took control of me… I thought of every single sad moment in my life… my parents dying… you losing your arm and leg… Al losing his body… when you guys left Resembool… the incident with Scar… even a nightmare I had about the Promised Day last night… everything… it was terrible…" Winry looked Edward in the eyes. He saw pain etched within hers, buried so deep it could never be touched.

"It's okay, Winry," Edward replied softly. (A/N: Right now, I'm having difficulty with verb tenses, so bear with me if you see any mistakes.)

"I'm so tired… Tired of being sad…" Winry rubbed her arms with her hands.

Edward's forehead wrinkled with worry. "What can I do?"

Winry sighed, wiped her eyes again and said, "First of all, I want to get out of this depressing graveyard. Take me somewhere I can lean on something." She offered a faint smile. Edward stood up and took Winry's outstretched hand, pulling her to her feet. She wobbled, and Ed grabbed her arm to keep her from tipping.

Winry tossed her arm around Ed's shoulder to balance herself. "This would probably work better if you held me around my waist."

Edward blushed faintly but took her lightly around the waist. She leaned on him, saying her knees were cramped from kneeling so long. Edward slowly lead them towards where his house once stood, a short way from the graveyard, on a hill. The burnt tree offered a spot for Winry to lean. But she seemed to be doing that just fine into Edward's side, getting closer and closer to him with each step.

Winry was pretty light, and, well, he didn't really mind having her lean on him. Not at all.

They arrived at the top of the hill and Ed carefully propped Winry against the tree. He leaned beside her, his hands clasped behind him near the small of his back.

This was a place of conflicted memories. Warm ones from his childhood, running around, playing, laughing with his mother, clashed with cold, hard memories of a failed taboo transmutation, and the start of Edward's and Alphonse's quest. He could almost smell the burning wood, as if he was still burning his house.

Winry sighed, shaking Ed from his nostalgic meditation. "It's gonna rain. I can tell."

"Yeah." Edward agreed softly.

"I like the rain," Winry said. "It's seems cheerful somehow." She smiled that sweet smile of hers, but it was sprinkled with nostalgia. "Listen to me. I sound like a depressed person. I also like how it feels on my face, cool and refreshing. It sounds nice, too."

"Yeah." Edward agreed.

"Is that all you're going to say?" She glanced at him. "'Yeah'?"

He grinned, preparing himself for the smack that was sure to come. "Yeah." Predictably, Winry whacked him on the head. "Ow!" he protested, rubbing the growing lump with his hand. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Being annoying isn't making me feel any better," she huffed, crossing her arms and pouting.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Edward mumbled, still massaging his scalp.

"I don't know. Be creative." A drop of rain fell on his nose.

"I'm not creative," Edward protested.

"Coming from an alchemist!" Winry cried. "You people practically thrive on creativity."

"Yeah, well, that's with the elements, and there are laws and such… I have no material to start from," the boy muttered. "Or did you want me to transmute something from the grass or rain or whatever?" He picked up a blade of grass and clapped his hands around it.

"No!" The rain came down more feverishly.

"Then what do you want?" Why couldn't she just say what she wants? Then he could actually have something to work with! But no, she had to be disagreeable and vague! He was trying to help her, and she was being totally un-helpful!

"I don't know what I want! Okay?" Winry shouted at him.

"Okay!" Ed slumped back against the tree, Winry following his action. They stood in silence, listening to the rain.

Ed wanted to help her, but he couldn't think of anything that would make her happy. He was a master of alchemy, not of how girls' brains work! In that area, he was as lost as the kittens Al frequently smuggled into his armor. He never read any romance novels, no, he had missed that area of all the bookstores and libraries he had browsed. Although now that he thought about it, it really wasn't a bad idea to learn about romance.

Wait… since when had his brain started putting 'Winry' and 'romance' on the same train of thought? He was her friend, sure, but did she want to be more than friends? Did _he _want them to be more than friends?

Oh, great, now he wasn't sure _what_ he wanted. In hope of some kind of revelation, Edward glanced over at Winry, who was staring at the sky. The look in her eyes was serious, like she was doing some deep thought. She blinked whenever raindrops came near her eyes. Her sky-blue eyes, though that wasn't an accurate term at the moment, as clouds currently regained the heavens. His eyes traveled up and down her body.

Up until then, he had never really noticed her figure before. He had always looked at her face, as it was the spot where he was able to gather the most information on her reaction to what he had said, like with most people. Normally with Winry, the discussion would end with Ed getting his head bashed him with a wrench. Now he noticed she was, um, to use a decent term, well-formed.

"What are you staring at?" Winry's voice came softly over the rain, but it caused Ed to rip his eyes off her and look away, blushing.

"Oh… uh… I… nothing" He couldn't think of anything to describe what he was doing, other than 'checking you out'.

Winry shivered; it had gotten rather cold in the rain.

Edward stripped off his red jacket and draped it over Winry's shoulders, his hands lingering on her arms. She smiled at him, pulling it around herself. Ed mentally patted himself on the back and returned the smile.

Slowly, Winry reached out at took Edward's hand. His heart skipped a beat or two, and he gripped her hand tightly. It was cold, which worried him. She might catch cold standing in the rain.

"We should go back to the house now," Edward said, slightly louder than his usual voice so as to be heard over the rain, which had recently intensified.

"Just a few more minutes! Please?" Winry squeezed his hand, and he caved.

"But why do you want to stay out here?" Ed asked.

"It's making me feel better." Ed laughed.

"Standing outside in the cold rain with me when we're soaked head to toe is making you feel better?" he wondered, smiling.

"No," she replied. "Standing outside in the cold rain with you when we're soaked head to toe and holding your hand is making me feel better." She looked at him and he returned the glance, both slightly blushing (though Ed is a darker hue).

Edward drew nearer to her, his heart pounding. _Does she want me to…?_ As if in reply, Winry tilted her head upward towards his. Good thing he was soaked, she didn't notice him sweat. He leaned in as carefully as he could, slightly titling his head to the side as to avoid a nose collision. Winry closed her eyes…

Suddenly, something fell onto Ed's face and stuck in his almost-shut eye. He jumped back in surprise and exclaimed. _Crud! Why at such an inconvenient moment?_ Winry opened her eyes to see Ed's hand slapped across his right eye, muttering curse words darkly.

"What happened?" She asked, trying to hold back giggles. He looked so comical!

"A stupid piece of burnt bark fell on my eye!" he exclaimed, opening his eye and shutting it, as if to see if it still functioned properly.

Winry couldn't hold back any longer. She burst into a fit of giggles, causing Ed to scowl.

"I'm sorry, you just look so funny!" She laughed.

"Well, I'm glad it's cheering you up!" he muttered, making her giggle even more.

"You look like you're the one who needs cheering up, now! Let me see." Ed put his hands on his hips and sighed, but let her look at his eye.

"Well, I think you'll live," Winry said, looking it all around.

"I'm so relieved," Ed muttered sarcastically.

Winry giggled again and planted a quick kiss on his wet eyelid. "All better!"

"Thanks." He smiled reluctantly. He took his hand and ran the back of his fingers lightly over her damp cheek, making her blush. (A/N: Points for Ed!) His hand came to rest behind her head, to which he used to pull her towards him.

Their eyes closed again, and his mouth was on hers. She tasted faintly like apples, he observed. His senses seemed to be on overdrive, and all they were feeling was her. _Winry, Winry, Winry, Winry… _He couldn't feel the rain on his face.He felt her hands run through his wet bangs, and her took her by the waist and pulled her closer, feeling her soaked clothes.

Winry drew away, only to snuggle her head into his chest, which made his stomach twist. He was sure she could hear his heart thumping wildly, and imagined hers doing the same.

"We should get home. It's cold," Ed looked down at Winry's head.

"Are you cold? I'm absolutely toasty. Mmmm…" She cuddled deeper into his chest, refusing to move.

Sighing, Edward picked her up bridal-style without much strain and carried her back to the house.

The door opened and Pinako looked up from her photo album. There stands Edward and Winry, both soaked to the bone, Winry wearing Ed's signature coat.

"What have you two been doing?" she asks, standing up.

The two teens glance at each other and say "Nothing."

Pinako raises her eyebrows, but neither of them offer any clarification. They both take off their shoes and trail up the stairs.

Pinako did not notice that they holding hands.


End file.
